Alaska's Elections should be as Independent as Alaska Voters
No Alaskan should be denied a vote just because they don’t want to be affiliated with the Republican or Democratic parties. There are over 300,000 independent voters in Alaska—over half the state. Every Alaskan should be able to vote in Primary Elections.
Yes on 2 ensures that every Alaska voter has the right to have their voice heard—regardless of whether they think of themselves as a Republican, an independent, or Democrat.
More than ever, we need a government that works for We the People, not for lobbyists, special interests, or the establishment and its hand-picked candidates. Yes on 2 puts the power of our elections in the hands of voters, where it belongs.
Alaska currently has semi-closed partisan primaries.
More than half of Alaska’s voters—63%, at present—do not affiliate with one of the two major parties, but the parties control which type of voters can participate in primary elections. The state Democratic, Libertarian, and Alaska Independence parties allow voters of any affiliation to choose their ballot, while the state Republican party only permits Republicans, non-partisan, and unaffiliated voters to vote in its primary. As such, voters find themselves forced to pick one side or another, even if they support candidates of different parties in different races. That’s unfair and contributes to low turnout. It’s time to return to a voter-first primary system that gives Alaskans more choice.
Following Yes on 2, all eligible voters would use a single unified primary ballot in which they
can select whichever candidate they prefer best in each race — regardless of party — and the top
four vote-getters will advance to the general election. Every state-funded election should be open to all voters. It’s that simple. That small change to our primary system will boost turnout and provide all Alaskan voters with more choices.
Open primaries put the power of the vote back into the hands of Alaskans, not the two main
political parties. This is especially true for nonpartisan voters who are the most disenfranchised
by partisan primaries. Over 60% of Alaskans choose not to register as either Republican or
Democrat, and all these voters should have access to vote on the candidates they like
best — regardless of party affiliation — instead of having their choices limited by party elites.
The state oversees primary elections in Alaska, and Alaskans should not be forced to pay for
primaries that require them to pick one camp or the other. Crucially, the parties would still be empowered to endorse the candidates of their choosing, and to publicize those nominations, but candidates themselves would be allowed to choose whether their party affiliation would appear
on the ballot. Advancing four candidates to the general election ensures that voters have more
options, and more say in their governance.
More than half of Alaska’s voters—63%, at present—do not affiliate with one of the two major
parties, but the parties control which type of voters can participate in primary elections. The state Democratic, Libertarian, and Alaska Independence parties allow voters of any affiliation to
choose their ballot, while the state Republican party only permits Republicans, non-partisan, and unaffiliated voters to vote in its primary. As such, voters find themselves forced to pick one side
or another, even if they support candidates of different parties in different races. That’s unfair
and contributes to low turnout. It’s time to return to a voter-first primary system that gives
Alaskans more choice.
An open primary means that a voter can vote in the primary election for any candidate they want,
regardless of his or her party affiliation. Candidates appear on a single ballot with the top four
vote-getters for each office advancing to the general election.
Alaska currently has semi-closed partisan primaries.
Political parties would still have the right to endorse candidates and show their support to the candidates they feel best embodies their platform—they just no longer get to use taxpayer-funded, restrictive primaries to limit who can vote on candidates in the primary. The measure allows all Alaskans to vote for the candidate they feel best represents them in a single unified primary.
By advancing the top four candidates to the general election, the measure ensures that the candidates Alaskans most support, regardless of party, are on the ballot. Advancing four candidates balances the need for voter choice with representative primaries to give Alaskans more say in their elections.
To encourage people of all stripes to run for office, primary elections should be open and unified, and that can mean having multiple candidates. A top four primary winnows the field to a manageable number while retaining multiple choices for voters, and using ranked choice to decide the general election ensures that candidates get majority support to win office.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 15 states have open primaries, including states as varied as Alabama, Hawaii, Michigan, Montana, and Texas. Two more states—Washington and California—have top-two nonpartisan primaries, in which the two candidates who receive the most votes in the unified primary election advance to a general election, regardless of party. The measure’s top four system would improve on the top-two model by offering voters more choice in the general election while maintaining the requirement that candidates win with a majority.
This measure does not change how presidential primaries are conducted, but would allow voters to rank their choices for president on the general election ballot in November.